First-year players and first-time head coaches may think they’re ready for college basketball. Then reality hits.

So this offseason, The Athletic will check in with select freshmen and head coaches about their first year — the things they learned in Year 1 that will shape Year 2 and beyond. Next up: Oregon State guard Ethan Thompson, a top-50 recruit from Bishop Montgomery High in Torrance, Calif., who started all 32 games for the Beavers and showed his versatility, averaging 9.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Q: Day 1 you step on campus in Corvallis, what did you expect college basketball would be like? And was it much different or about what you expected?

ET: I expected it to be a lot more physical, probably a little faster-paced, a lot more structure to it. I found out as the season went on that it is more physical, and there’s definitely more structure, but it’s not everybody doing the same stuff. Teams have different concepts...